Tiffin Boys head says police have not contacted school about 1970s sex abuse claims

The current headteacher of Tiffin School for Boys says she has had no contact from police investigating claims by a pupil he was sexually abused by a teacher in the 1970s.

The school, in Queen Elizabeth Road, was named in the Observer on Sunday as one of 23 UK primary and secondary schools where former pupils have come forward to police to claim they were sexually abused by a member of staff.

The accusation follows thousands of similar claims across the country in the aftermath of the 2012 Jimmy Savile scandal and the launch of Operation Yewtree.

The Observer report claimed the abuse at Tiffin occurred in 1975, and that the alleged offender was still alive.

But Tiffin headteacher Hilda Clarke, who has been in charge since 2009, said: “We know nothing at all.

"The first we knew about it was when the Observer reporter rang us.

"We’re obviously aware of the report but to date we haven’t been contacted by the police or any other party.

"Of course we would cooperate fully with any police investigation.

"But it was a long time ago and nobody here today knows anything about it."

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “An allegation of historical sexual abuse has been made to police.

“The allegation relates to a school in Kingston. The abuse is said to have taken place in the 1970s.

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